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mobrojojo's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
loumagoo's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
thndrlzrd's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Pretty suspenseful book! All around I really enjoyed it, and definitely devoured it. It’s very dark, sometimes a little disturbing, and always tense which I love!
The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars was sometimes mom’s descriptions about Crohn’s disease got a little boring and too frequent, and it didn’t have any particularly likeable characters. I found mom a little annoying (although I did feel bad for her at times), dad was clueless, and daughter was…. Obviously something else.
The end definitely kept me guessing. The last 1/4 of the book, I changed my theory on how it would end pretty much every chapter!
The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars was sometimes mom’s descriptions about Crohn’s disease got a little boring and too frequent, and it didn’t have any particularly likeable characters. I found mom a little annoying (although I did feel bad for her at times), dad was clueless, and daughter was…. Obviously something else.
The end definitely kept me guessing. The last 1/4 of the book, I changed my theory on how it would end pretty much every chapter!
mightymarbles's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
k_gregz's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This was ... not a good book. Maybe I've read too many evil child stories, but this really has nothing clever or insightful to add to the subgenre. It was so cliche, so unimaginative, so one-note. Maybe if the story had been told only through the mother's perspective, that would give it some nuance and intrigue it just doesnt have, but as is it's a poor caricature of motherhood and a caricature of the child sociopath with no story to tell.
shaaamwise's review against another edition
3.0
A friend described it best with “hmm…okay…why would I care? “
I don’t think it was a bad book, I just didn’t find the protagonist’s horribly believable or relatable.
This is coming from a fan of child centric “horror”
(We need to talk about Kevin, The Bad Seed)
It wasn’t the worst, but wasn’t the best.
I don’t think it was a bad book, I just didn’t find the protagonist’s horribly believable or relatable.
This is coming from a fan of child centric “horror”
(We need to talk about Kevin, The Bad Seed)
It wasn’t the worst, but wasn’t the best.
carriedoodledoo's review against another edition
3.0
This actually popped up in my reading list just as I was cast in the role of Christine Penmark in a local production of "The Bad Seed". The play is about a little girl who the mother (Christine) comes to realize is manipulative, a liar, a thief...and very violent. Naturally, this book just clicked! The very definition of serendipity! While Hanna is younger and her mental illness isn't quite the same as Rhoda's, we can see right into her mind via the alternating chapters of viewpoints. Very good job!
amylowe's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75